February 2010
Volume 48 Number 1
Article # 1TOT2
Tools of the Trade

February 2010 // Volume 48 // Number 1 // Tools of the Trade // 1TOT2

Working Smart: Increasing the Reach of Extension Programming Through Media Advertising

Abstract
A successful Extension program requires effective marketing strategies. Extension educators commit extensive time and resources to prepare an educational program, but who will attend the event? A well prepared program with poor attendance frustrates the presenter and wastes precious Extension resources. As county programs work within the financial constraints of lean economic times, ineffective program marketing is unaffordable. This article shares the results of a study conducted to compare the enrollment numbers for FCS education programs that were promoted using either free and then paid advertising methods. Paid advertizing resulted in sizeable increases in enrollment for FCS Extension programs.

Harriet Shaklee
Professor & Family Development Specialist
Family and Consumer Sciences
Boise, Idahohshaklee@uidaho.edu

University of Idaho Extension

Introduction

A successful Extension program requires
effective marketing. Extension educators commit extensive time and
resources to prepare an educational program, but who will attend the
event? A well prepared program with poor attendance frustrates the
presenter and wastes precious Extension resources. As county programs
work within the financial constraints of lean economic times,
ineffective program marketing is unaffordable.

Effective marketing takes time, creativity,
and sensitivity to the motivations of the target audience (Bairstow,
Berry, & Driscoll, 2002; Chappell, 1990; King & Boehlje,
2000). Tradition and experience may lead Extension personnel to
gravitate towards preferred promotional methods. A recent survey of
Florida Extension agents (Telg, Irani, Hurst, & Kistler, 2007)
shows word of mouth to be the most-used method of promotion, with
online methods the second most frequently used strategy. Least common
are paid newspaper advertisements, with 98% of respondents using this
method as few as 0-5 times in a year.

Extension has many free or inexpensive ways
to promote its programs, including Web sites, email, brochures,
flyers, newsletters, direct mailings, community calendars, and public
service announcements. In some cases, Extension gets extensive
newspaper coverage of programs when they are deemed newsworthy.
However, if Florida programs are representative of the nation, paying
for a newspaper, radio or television ad is a rare event.

Recent experience of Idaho Family and
Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension educators suggested that paid media
promotion may be a good investment. In several areas of family
finance and health, Idaho educators found that paid ads (newspapers,
billboards, and radio) substantially increased program enrollment.
Preference for free venues of promotion may be strong in Extension,
but is that wise in terms of program impact? To assess the value of
paid advertising, several Idaho FCS educators decided to further
investigate the question.

Method and Results

FCS county educators in Idaho offered the
same programs twice within a 12-month period, once with paid
advertising and once without paid advertising. In four of the
comparison pairs, the program with paid advertising was offered first
and then offered later in the year without paid advertising. For two
program pairs, the sequence was reversed. Free advertising included
word of mouth, flyers, brochures, community bulletin boards, and
Extension newsletters (mailed and on-line). Paid advertising
varied depending on community resources and included
television, radio, and newspaper.

When the programs were promoted using free
outlets alone, enrollments averaged 4.5 people. In fact, three of the
six programs were cancelled due to lack of enrollment. However, when
paid advertising promoted the program, enrollments averaged 31.8
people. A particularly striking contrast was a program on
osteoporosis, which was cancelled for lack of enrollment without paid
advertising, but drew 64 attendees when it was advertised in the
newspaper.

Perhaps the toughest tests of the value of
paid advertising were the two programs that were offered with paid
advertising first, drawing a sizeable enrollment plus waiting list
(60+ people). In these cases, the excitement from the original course
could have carried over to the repeat offering to produce a crowd
even when promoters only relied on newsletters or word of mouth. The
waiting list alone could be a rich source of attendees. However, that
was not the case. One program had to be cancelled for lack of
enrollment on the repeat offering, and the second program only drew
four participants, despite having a 43-person waiting list when it
was offered only three months earlier!

The one exception to the pattern was a
diabetes nutrition program, which drew a disappointingly small group
both with and without paid advertising (four and five participants,
respectively). Of all the classes offered, the diabetes program had
the narrowest target audience, perhaps illustrating that it may be
better to work with clinics or hospitals to reach the relevant group.

Sometimes Extension programs get extensive
free coverage in the local newspaper, drawing
a crowd—one Boise program had 20 enrollees and 32 on the waiting
list after such an article. However, when the program was offered 3
months later without the newspaper coverage, only 14 people signed
up. Working with the local media can yield outstanding results, but
Extension educators can't count on extensive media attention for all
of the excellent programs they offer. Repeat offerings of the same
workshop are particularly unlikely to be deemed newsworthy. The same
program offered in a neighboring town also had excellent enrollment
(20 participants, 43 on the waiting list) as a result of a modestly
priced ad in the local paper.

Discussion

With shrinking Extension budgets in the
current economy, it may be tempting to forgo paid media
advertising—indeed it was the least used method among recently
surveyed Florida Extension educators (Telg et al., 2007). However,
many state Extension programs have experienced staff reductions, and
it is especially important to use educator time well. This evidence
shows that paid advertising is a good value for increasing the
effectiveness of Extension educators.

A 2004 survey by the University of Idaho
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences showed that interest in
Family and Consumer Sciences topics was strong among Idaho residents.
However 70% or more of respondents had not used Extension services in
the past 12 months. Many times, participants comment: "I didn't
realize Extension offered this program." Paid advertising is one
cost-effective way to extend program outreach to area residents.

The findings presented here show strong
results for media advertising, but there may be limits to the effect.
For example, a program with a known limited audience (e.g., child
care providers or WIC participants) may not benefit from broad-based
advertisement because it is easier to reach the target group
directly. Another consideration might be whether the program is well
known in the community or a newly introduced curriculum.

In sum, comparisons of enrollment in FCS
programs with and without paid advertising showed that a modestly
priced advertisement substantially increased program enrollment.
These results suggest that paid advertising may be a key element in
"work smart" strategies that increase the reach of
Extension programs despite budgetary constraints.

The Journal of Extension

The Journal of Extension (JOE) is the official refereed journal of the U.S. Cooperative Extension System. JOE expands and updates the research and knowledge base for Extension professionals and other adult educators to improve their effectiveness. In addition, JOE serves as a forum for emerging and contemporary issues affecting Extension education.